Can the Living Love the Dead?
by idolR21
Summary: She's stuck in the Game. But with Joshua as her partner, secrets remain. Who is he? Why does she feel this way about him? What's happening to Shibuya?
1. Chapter 1

"Ugh..." I said. "Here I am... the Game... I don't even know how I died..."

But I'm going to win this game!

_I need a partner..._ Noise suddenly appeared.  
"Crap, I don't have time for this! I need a partner!" There was a boy with grayish hair who saw me. "Hey you! Make a pact with me!"  
"Sure..." He said. And he made a pact with me. We started fighting the noise. He used his cellphone. It was pretty cool actually, I hadn't seen power like his. After the noise were erased, I started up conversation with him.

"Hey... I'm Kenmei. What's your name?"

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"  
"Oh, sorry. I'm Yoshiya Kiryu, but my parents call me Joshua."  
"Joshua... Kiryu?" I didn't know why, but that name seemed so familliar... "Nice name. So what do you think our mission is?"

I was getting pissed off. But, I didn't show it on the outside.  
"Uhh, do you talk at all?"  
"Huh? Sorry, I was thinking of something."  
"About what?"  
"It's nothing... Let's just-"  
BEEP BEEP  
"The mission!" I opened my phone. "Get to 104 in 60 minutes or you'll be erased. -Da Reapers" I looked at it.  
"Well, let's get to ten-four then!"

_Seriously... Have you spoken 20 words in your lifetime at ALL?_

We ran to the scramble crossing. I was about to walk to the path to 104, when a wall was up...  
"Dammit! A wall!"  
The Reaper next to the building stared at us.  
"Hey, you! Reaper!" I yelled to him.

_Come on... I've already got one guy who doesn't talk.. Don't make it two..._  
"Hello?"  
"Erase the Noise in this area. Do that, and I'll let you pass."  
"Piece of cake. Ready Joshua?"

_Seriously, if we're going to be partners, you're going to have to talk to me..._

"Okay. Whatever. Let's go!"

-Insert Cool Battle Scene Here-

"Huff... Huff..." I said. "That was one heck of a battle..."

"Listen Joshua, I don't like putting up with people who don't talk to me. So please, say something."  
"I'm... I'm sorry. It's just..."  
"Yes?" I moved closer to him.  
"No- Nothing. Nevermind."  
"Hm. Well if you don't want to tell me, I'll respect that. But don't go all silent on me when I talk to you, OK?"  
"Ok. Deal."  
"Great! Now let's get to ten-four before this timer runs out!"

We ran to 104. The timer disppeared.

"Whew! We made it!"  
"Yes... We did..."  
"You talked! YAY!" I hugged him tightly.  
"Umm... Do you mind...?"  
"Oh! Sorry! My bad."  
"No problem."  
"It's just, I can't remember the last time I hugged someone like that..."  
He mumbled something.  
"Huh?"  
"Nothing. Keep going?"  
"Well, I had this boyfriend, Neku Sakuraba, and he was acting like a total jerk one day. Well, he lost the Tin Pin Slammer contest to this one guy... and he just lost all hope. He pushed everyone away... even me. I yelled at him... We got into a huge fight, and the last thing I said to him was... 'I hope you die.'"  
"Ohh..."  
"Then what happened? The next day, Neku gets shot. I couldn't forgive myself for that. That was the last thing I told him... and it happened..." Tears started rolling down my cheeks.  
"Oh. I'm so sorry." He wiped my tears away with his hand.  
"Thanks, Joshua."  
"So, you still love him?"  
"Well... Yes. I do. And I can't ever let him know..."  
"Ohh..."  
"Well, thanks for listening to my life story, Joshua. No one ever listened to me when I was alive... Wait a minute! I can't remember how I died!"  
"Oh?"  
"Dammit. That's the only thing missing from me..."  
How can I not remember how I died! What the hell is going on! Oh well. Might as well get through this...

~Joshua's POV~

_All I have to do is find her... Then everything will be back to normal. Or will they...?_  
I was at Hachiko. Then, a girl screams for help.  
"You! Make a pact with me!"  
_It's her! Oh wait... No it's not..._  
"Sure..." And the pact was formed. After fighting off noise, she started up conversation with me.

"Hey... I'm Kenmei. What's your name?"  
"..." I didn't say a word.  
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"  
"Oh, sorry. I'm Yoshiya Kiryu, but my parents call me Joshua."  
"Joshua... Kiryu?" She paused.  
_Wait... Does she-_  
"Nice name. So what do you think our mission is?"  
_Nevermind._

"Uhh, do you talk at all?" I could tell she was pretty pissed because I wasn't talking.  
"Huh? Sorry, I was thinking of something."  
"About what?"  
"It's nothing... Let's just-"  
BEEP BEEP  
"The mission!" She opened her phone. "Get to 104 in 60 minutes or you'll be erased. -Da Reapers. Well, let's get to ten-four then!"

_I can't utter any word to her. I just, can't._

We ran to the scramble crossing. We were was about to walk to the path to 104, when a wall was up...  
"Dammit! A wall!"  
The Reaper next to the building stared at us.  
"Hey, you! Reaper!" She yelled to him.

_A silent Reaper. I'm guessing Kenmei hates quiet people..._  
"Hello?"  
"Erase the Noise in this area. Do that, and I'll let you pass."  
"Piece of cake. Ready Joshua?"

_Don't get to confident..._  
"Okay. Whatever. Let's go!"

-Insert Cool Battle Scene Here-

"Huff... Huff..." I said. "That was one heck of a battle..."

_Never changed, never will..._  
"Listen Joshua, I don't like putting up with people who don't talk to me. So please, say something."  
"I'm... I'm sorry. It's just..."  
"Yes?" She moved closer to me.  
_No. Not now. It's not the right time to tell her..._  
"No- Nothing. Nevermind."  
"Hm. Well if you don't want to tell me, I'll respect that. But don't go all silent on me when I talk to you, OK?"  
"Ok. Deal."  
"Great! Now let's get to ten-four before this timer runs out!"

We ran to 104. The timer disppeared.

"Whew! We made it!"  
"Yes... We did..."  
"You talked! YAY!" She hugged me tightly. I must've blushed 17 different shades of Red.  
"Umm... Do you mind...?"  
"Oh! Sorry! My bad."  
"No problem."  
"It's just, I can't remember the last time I hugged someone like that..."  
"I do..." I mumbled.  
"Huh?"  
"Nothing. Keep going?"  
"Well, I had this boyfriend, Neku Sakuraba, and he was acting like a total jerk one day. Well, he lost the Tin Pin Slammer contest to this one guy... and he just lost all hope. He pushed everyone away... even me. I yelled at him... We got into a huge fight, and the last thing I said to him was... 'I hope you die.'"  
"Ohh..."  
_Here's the story..._  
"Then what happened? The next day, Neku gets shot. I couldn't forgive myself for that. That was the last thing I told him... and it happened..." Tears started rolling down her cheeks.  
"Oh. I'm so sorry." I wiped her tears away with my hand.  
"Thanks, Joshua."  
"So, you still love him?"  
"Well... Yes. I do. And I can't ever let him know..."  
"Ohh..."  
_I knew it... She's not her..._  
"Well, thanks for listening to my life story, Joshua. No one ever listened to me when I was alive... Wait a minute! I can't remember how I died!"  
"Oh?"  
"Dammit. That's the only thing missing from me..."  
_She can't remember... Because... Why? Was that her entry fee?_


	2. Chapter 2

~Kenmei's POV~

I woke up at the Scramble Crossing.  
"Ugh... One day has passed... Wait a minute... why do I know so much about this game? And... where's Joshua?"  
"Yeah. I'd like it ready by tomorrow."  
_He's... On the phone?_  
"Thanks. I'll check back later. Bye." Joshua hung up his phone.  
"Who were you on the phone with?" I asked Joshua.

"Oh, just a friend."

"Oh. Well the mission hasn't come yet..."  
"Yes, I know. How about we pass the time by erasing a few noise?"  
"Uh, sure." I started to scan.  
_That's weird. I can scan Joshua?_  
All of a sudden... I could see what was in his head...  
There I was, against a chair. I wasn't tied up or anything. My head looked up. I smiled.  
"See you..." I said. It turned dark, and I heard a gunshot. Everything was bright again, and I was dead.  
"Ah!" I shouted.  
_What the hell was that? What did I just see?_  
"You ok, Kenmei?" Joshua asked.  
"Yeah... I'm fine..."  
_I can't tell him what I saw... What if he freaks?_

_But...  
He's seen me die...  
How the hell is that possible?_  
"Kenmei?"  
"Oh, sorry."  
"Now who's not talking? Hee hee."  
"Yeah... ha ha..."  
_Damn, I think he could tell that was fake..._

"Anyway, how about that noise?"  
"Right..." We took out a few noise.  
"Huff... Huff... Well that's done... But where's the mission?"  
"I don't know... Listen Kenmei. I need to do a little errand. Are you fine with that?"  
"One condition."  
"Hm?"  
"The second we get the mission, we complete it."  
"Oh, you drive a hard bargain. But I accept."  
"Great..." I said quite uneasily. I still wasn't over the whole scanning thing. "So, what are you planning to do?"  
"I'm tracking down the Composer."  
"The Composer? You mean the most powerful person in the Game?"

"Yes. I'm going to take him out."  
"So you can become the Composer, right?"  
"Impressive."  
"Yeah, I don't even know how I knew that."  
"Well, you know it. So come on. There's someone we need to visit."  
"Okay. Right behind you, Joshua."  
_Joshua... Who is he?_  
_What does he have to do with my death...  
And why do I feel so... safe around him?_  
_Oh well. No use asking if there aren't any answers..._  
"You coming, Kenmei?"  
"Uh, yeah!"  
"You'd better hurry, or the noise might get you, hee hee."  
Somehow, the sound of his laugh was calming...

~Joshua's POV~

After getting off the phone with Hanekoma, I noticed that Kenmei had woken up.  
"Who were you on the phone with?" She asked.

"A friend."  
"Oh. Well, the mission hasn't arrived yet."  
"Yes, I know. How about we pass the time by erasing a few noise?"

"Uh, sure." She started to scan. All of a sudden, she dropped to the ground.  
"Kenmei..." She looked troubled.  
_I can't touch her. I know what she did. She tried to scan me. She's seeing what's in my head._

_But..._

_Is she seeing everything?_

"Ahh!" She shouted.

"You ok, Kenmei?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..."  
_No you're not... I can tell._

"Kenmei?"

"Oh, sorry."  
"Now who's not talking."  
"Yeah... Ha ha." I could tell that she was faking that laugh.

"Anyway, how 'bout that noise?"

"Right..." She scanned, and we took out a few.

"Huff huff..." She panted. "Well that's done. But where's the mission?"

"I don't know... Listen Kenmei. I need to do a little errand... Are you fine with that?"

"One condition."

_I knew that was coming._

"The second we get the mission..." She said. "We complete it."

"Oh," I said. "You drive a hard bargain. But I accept."

"Great..." She said uneasily. "So, what are you planning to do?"

"I'm tracking down the Composer."  
"The Composer? You mean the most powerful person in the Game?"

_Yes, me._

"Yup. I'm going to take him out-"  
"So you can become Composer?"

_My my, you sure do know your Reaper's Game._

"Impressive."

"Yeah, Don't know how I knew that..."  
"Well, you know it. Come on. There's someone we need to visit."

"Okay. Right behind you Joshua." She suddenly started trailing behind.

"You coming Kenmei?"

"Uh, yeah!"  
"You'd better hurry, or the noise might get you, hee hee."  
"Heh..." She seemed like she calmed down.

"Well, let's get going."  
"Yeah."

-After A Few Minutes of Walking-

"So..." Kenmei asked. "Who are we looking for?" We entered WildKat.

"Welcome to- oh hey Joshua!" Hanekoma said.  
"Hey, Hanekoma." I said.  
"Who's the chick? She yours?"

"No," She butt in. "_I'm_ his partner. Just his partner."

"Ahh." Hanekoma whispered to me. "Is that..." I sighed.

"No, it's not..." I looked away at the memory of "the Moment".

"Oh. I hope you find her then."  
"Thanks."  
"Hello?" Kenmei said. "Am I invisible here?" I laughed.

"Anyway Hanekoma, like I said, I'll need that tracker soon."  
"I have it done, actually."  
"You do?"

"Yeah. Business is slow today and I have a lot of time."

_... Isn't it always slow?_

He reached out to see our phones.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Kenmei said. "What are you going to do with my phone?"

"It's okay Kemnei," I told her. "You can trust him."

"Okay..." She handed Hanekoma her phone.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt your phone."

"Done." Hanekoma said as he stepped out with both our phones.

"Thanks, Mr. H. We've gotta go now."

"Now?" Kenmei said. "I wanted some coffee."  
"570 yen." Mr. H said.

"Let's go Kenmei..." I said as I took her hand and dragged her out of WildKat. "Okay. I'm going to use my phone to scan-"  
"Joshua?" Kenmei said.

"What?"

"You can let go of my hand..."

"Oh, right sorry..."  
"Found you." A voice said.  
"Who's there?"

~Kenmei's POV~

"Well, let's get going." Joshua said.

"Yeah..." I said.

After we walked for a while, I finally asked him.

"So who are we looking for?" We then entered WildKat.

"Welcome to- Hey Joshua!" The man at the counter said.

"Hey Hanekoma." Joshua said.

"Who's the chick?" Hanekoma said, obviously referring to me. "She yours?"  
_No... way. Was he serious?_

"No," I said, annoyed. "I'm his partner. _Just_ his partner."

"Ahh." He then whispered something to Joshua. Joshua sighed and nodded no.

_What are they talking about?_

"Hello? Am I invisible here?"

"Hee hee." Joshua laughed. "Anyway, Hanekoma. Like I said. I'll need that tracker soon."  
"I have it done, actually. Business was slow."

_No wonder... I haven't even heard of WildKat._

"You do?"

_Oh yeah, I forgot, Joshua's tracking down the Composer._

"Yeah. Lemme see your phones."

"Whoa whoa whoa," I backed my phone away. "What the hell are you doing with my phone?" I was overprotective of my phone. I kept all the pictures of me and Neku in it...

"It's okay, Kenmei." Joshua said. "You can trust him."

"Okay..." I said reluctantly.I handed Hanekoma my phone.

"Don't worry. He won't hurt your phone."  
"Done." Hanekoma stepped out with our phones.

_Damn, he's quick._

"Thanks, Mr. H." Joshua said. "We've gotta go now."

_Jeez, Joshua, what's the rush?_

"Now?" I said. "I wanted some coffee."  
"570 yen." Mr. H said.

"Let's go Kenmei..." Joshua took my hand and pulled me out of WildKat.

We had gotten out of WildKat. But he was still holding my hand...

"Okay. I'm going to use my phone to scan-" I liked that he was holding my hand, but I had to tell him.

"Joshua?" I said.

"Yeah?" He answered back.

"You can let go of my hand now..."  
"Oh, right. Sorry, hee hee..." He was cute when he blushed.

_No, my heart's saved for Neku. Even if I'll never see him again..._

"Found you." A voice said.

"Who's there?" I shouted.

Nothing. Then, random noise came out and attacked us. Joshua and I tried to fight it off, but more just came and came.

"Joshua, I can't hang on for much longer..." I said.

"Ugh." Joshua said. THen he blasted a light that destroyed all the noise.

"What the-"

"Well well well." A reaper with orange hair and a lollipop said. "Looks like we have and illegal player here."

"Illegal player?" I said. "Joshua...?"

"And what if I was an illegal player?" Joshua said.

_Careful Joshua, this reaper could erase you..._

"I'm going to have to-"  
"KARIYA!" A reaper with pink hair shouted.

"Uzuki?"

"What the hell are you doing?"

"This is an illegal player-"

"I don't care. There's a promotion chance, and I'm not passing this up!"  
"Jeez Uzuki. I'm coming back for you, Joshua." He fled off.

"You ok, Kenmei?" Joshua said as he helped me up.

"Yeah..." I said. "What was up with the illegal player thing?"

"Oh... Well, I'm still alive, hee hee."

"You're... alive?"

"I could see the UG. So could Hanekoma. He told me about the Reaper's Game and I decided I wanted to be Composer. So I took a partner... And you happened to be there."  
"Ohh..."


End file.
